The Internet has grown to become an important outlet of electronic communication. Tools such as email and instant messaging (IM; sometimes also referred to as “chat”) are popular amongst Internet users. These tools help users stay connected to each other and help them become more productive.
Email and IM have generally been considered to be separate and distinct. As a result, applications for email and IM are not designed to efficiently use them together. This can inconvenience users, reduce users' productivity, and limits the potential of email and IM as communications tools. A system that integrates email and IM would be desirable.